STACK #240 October 2024

MUSIC FEATURE

visit jbhifi.com.au/stack

TO THE MOON AND BACK

Coldplay

Coldplay’s tenth album is a celestial smash.

OUR FAVOURITE MARTIN

Moon Music by Coldplay is out Oct 4 via Warner

We love Chris Martin. But who does he love? “Everyone asks what inspired us, what we’ve been trying to steal from and what we listened to as we were growing up,” he says, revealing: “The first band I ever loved was a-ha.” Martin was eight when the Norwegian stars had a worldwide smash with Take on Me in 1985. COVER ME The Moon Music cover shows a moonbow – a rainbow that’s created by moonlight and not sunlight. It’s a real photo taken by Argentinian photographer Matias Alonso Revelli from his backyard in 2020, using a Nikon D3100.

Photo credit: Anna Lee

COLD PAY Coldplay’s former manager Dave Holmes says the record company gave the band a £35 million

APPLE MUSIC The first single from the album, feelslikeimfallinginlove , was co-written by Chris Martin’s 20-year-old daughter, Apple.

MOON [RE]CYCLE Moon Music is making history. It’s the first album to be released on EcoCD,

advance to make Moon Music , which would make it one of the most expensive albums of all time. THE OFFSPRING SUPERCHARGED with the CDs made from recycled polycarbonate, sourced from waste that was headed for landfill. Jeff Jenkins

H aving spent nearly three decades headlining stadiums, defining the evolution of punk (especially in the ‘90s), and amassing platinum records like they’re going out of style, The Offspring might be forgiven for taking it easy. But on Supercharged - their 11th studio album - they’re anything but idle, and still playing with a chip on their shoulder. Supercharged treads a tightrope between nostalgia and reinvention, The Offspring embracing a slicker, more polished

dance floor-ready synths that reimagine punk for the digital age, while Light it Up and ‘Truth in Fiction’ deliver the high-octane thrills you’d expect. The Fall Guy slows things down just enough to let some of that bright, anthemic melodicism breathe. This serves to highlight the bursting optimism of Make it All Right and the euphoric rush of OK But This Is the Last Time , which are both irresistibly endearing. The album’s latter half is where things really heat up. Come to Brazil is a hardcore blast

from the past - raw and provocative. Get Some keeps the pedal to the metal with its propulsive rhythms and scintillating riffs, leading into the anxiety-ridden Hanging by a Thread . Supercharged wraps up with the expansive You Can’t Get There from

production while maintaining that

The Offspring

punk edge of old. The grittiness of their early sound might have mellowed, but the underground spirit is alive and kicking. Tracks like Looking Out for #1 showcase

Here , featuring soaring guitars and sweeping soundscapes. Supercharged is brimming with fun, starring catchy, infectious songs and lyrics that resonate with a relatable, youthful

energy. It manages to feel both comfortably familiar and refreshingly new, proving that The Offspring aren’t merely resting on their laurels - they’re here to take numbers. Alex Burgess

Supercharged by The Offspring is out Oct 11 via Concord Records

44 OCTOBER 2024

jbhifi.com.au